2011-05-26_AgendaPacket - Laserfiche WebLink

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• Monitoring and Data Assessment The collection of water quality and water quantity data is necessary to assess the achievement of water quality standards, evaluate BMP programs, calibrate computer models and perform trend analyses. Baseline data is needed for the water resources of the GLWMO including lakes, ponds, wetlands and groundwater resources. There is a need for one entity to serve as a clearinghouse for monitoring data and to compile and present the data for both technical analysis as well as general use by the public. • Stormwater Management A significant portion of the GLWMO is made up of impervious surfaces. These impervious surfaces increase the rate and volume of stormwater runoff and the pollutant load being discharged to the WMO's lakes, ponds and wetlands. Increased volumes of stormwater runoff have the potential to increase flooding, which threatens public safety and increases the potential for damage to infrastructure. Both historic and current development practices have contributed to compacted soils, the placement of fill material, the underground disposal of waste materials, and the presence of contamination. These factors and others make the application of stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) more challenging. While the GLWMO would like member communities to maintain permitting authority, it would like them to adopt standards that provide water quality and quantity protection, erosion and sediment control and wetland protection. • Wetland Management The GLWMO has a high number of wetlands, some of which are degraded. Past regulations allowed some of the wetlands to be converted to stormwater ponds resulting in stormwater treatment capacity issues, easement issues and confusion among residents about the use and management of wetlands. Potential activities related to Ramsey County Ditches 9 and 19 may impact the WMO's wetlands. Maintaining or improving the quality of the wetland resources supports their recreational and aesthetic uses as well as maximizes their water quality and quantity benefits to downstream water resources. Current GLWMO wetland management regulations apply to DNR protected wetlands only.. • Recreation, Habitat and Shoreland Management Recreation is a key reason the residents of GLWMO are interested in the local lakes, ponds, and wetlands. A number of types of recreation are available within the GLWMO including boating, swimming, fishing, water skiing, and lake and wildlife viewing. A number of these resources have become degraded over time, limiting people's ability to use or enjoy these resources as they had in the past (e.g. degraded conditions for canoeing due to invasive macrophytes, and lowered diversity of wildlife). In some cases, this degradation is a result of our land use management practices and recreational activities (e.g. maintaining turf grass to the edge of a lake's shoreline,